Standard Common Name

Ribbon Barracudina

Identification

The Ribbon Barracudina has a long, slender body. It has large eyes and sharp pointed teeth. The short-based dorsal fin contains nine or ten rays. The anal fin (28-33 rays) and dorsal adipose fin are positioned well back on the body close to the caudal fin.

The genus Arctozenus can be separated from the other genera in the subfamily Paralepidinae (family Paralepididae) by the position of the pelvic fins (positioned distinctly behind a vertical from the first dorsal fin ray) and the presence of a black area at the base of the anterior anal fin rays.

Size range

It grows to 30 cm in length.

Distribution

This species is found in mesopelagic depths in tropical and some warm temperate marine waters world-wide. In Australia it is known from off the central coast of New South Wales.

The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Source: Atlas of Living Australia.